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NEWTOWN, Conn. — The family of Noah Pozner was mourning the 6-year-old, killed in the Newtown
school massacre, when outrage compounded their sorrow.

Someone they didn’t know was soliciting donations in Noah’s memory, claiming that they would
send any cards, packages and money collected to his parents and siblings. An official-looking
website had been set up, with Noah’s name as the address, even including petitions on gun
control.

“These scammers,” he said, “are taking away from families and the spirits of dead kids.”

It’s a problem as familiar as it is disturbing. Tragedy strikes — be it a natural disaster, a
gunman’s rampage or a terrorist attack — and scam artists move in.

“It’s abominable,” said Ken Berger, president and CEO of Charity Navigator, which evaluates the
performance of charities. “It’s just the lowest kind of thievery.”

Noah Pozner’s relatives found out about one bogus solicitation when a friend received an email
asking for money for the family. Poorly punctuated, it gave details about Noah, his funeral and his
family. It directed people to send donations to an address in the Bronx, one that the Pozners had
never heard of. It also listed a New York City phone number to text with questions about how to
donate. When a reporter texted that number yesterday, a reply advised that the donation would go to
the United Way.

Haller said the experience “should serve as a warning signal to other victims’ families. We urge
people to watch out for these frauds on social-media sites.”